Advanced sulfosuccinamate surfactants

Abstract

Provided herein are sulfosuccinamates made using polyetheramines as intermediates. The sulfosuccinamates according to the invention exhibit excellent detergency when employed in formulations used as hard surface cleaners, laundry detergents, and dishwashing liquids. In addition, the sulfosuccinamates according to the invention have an unexpectedly high degree of water hardness tolerance, and are easier to produce than similar materials found in the prior art owing to the fact that the product and its intermediates exist in liquid form.

We claim:  
     
       1. A composition of matter useful as a surfactant in finished formulations for cleaning dishes, hard surfaces, and laundry, comprising an anionic form of a material described by the formula:                    
       in which R1 is a hydrocarbyl group containing between 5 and 19 carbon atoms, saturated or unsaturated, straight-chain, branched, or cyclic; R 2  and R 3  may each independently be a hydrogen, or a hydrocarbyl group selected from the group consisting of: methyl and ethyl; x may be any integer between 7 and 20, including 7 and 20; R 4  and R 5  may each independently be a hydrogen, or a hydrocarbyl group selected from the group consisting of: methyl and ethyl; and y is independently equal to zero or 1. 
     
     
       2. A composition according to  claim 1  further comprising at least one material known to those skilled in the art as being useful in formulating soaps, detergents, and the like. 
     
     
       3. A composition according to  claim 1  wherein y=0; x is independently any integer selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; one and only one of R 2  or R 3  is independently selected from the group consisting of: methyl and ethyl; and the remaining group R 2  or R 3  which is not methyl or ethyl is H. 
     
     
       4. A composition according to  claim 1  wherein y=0; x is independently any integer selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; one and only one of R 2  or R 3  is independently selected from the group consisting of: methyl and ethyl; and the remaining group R 2  or R 3  which is not methyl or ethyl is H. 
     
     
       5. A composition according to  claim 1  wherein y=0; x is any integer selected from the group consisting of: 2 and 3; R 3  is selected from the group consisting of: methyl and ethyl; and R 2  is H. 
     
     
       6. A composition according to  claim 1  wherein R 4  and R 5  are each H; y=1; x is any integer selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; one and only one of R 2  or R 3  is selected from the group consisting of: methyl and ethyl; and the remaining group R 2  or R 3  which is not methyl or ethyl is H. 
     
     
       7. A finished formulation selected from the group consisting of: laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents, and hard surface cleaners which comprises a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       8. A formulation according to  claim 7  which shows no precipitation due to water hardness minerals when the total water hardness is any ppm level in the range of between 50 ppm and 1200 ppm. 
     
     
       9. A composition according to  claim 1  in which charge balance for said anionic form is provided by at least one cation selected from the group consisting of: lithium, potassium, sodium, rubidium, and ammonium.